When Pokemon Left
by RathOfLight
Summary: What if Pokemon one day just left? These are the records, interviews and accounts that together draw the journey of one Ash Ketchum which would lead to the event now known as: When Pokemon Left. Pokemon Anime AU. I do not own Pokemon.
1. Chapter 0

Chapter 0: A Record of the Event

It happened one day without a warning, the day when humans and Pokémon no longer lived side by side. It started with every single Pokémon releasing themselves from their trainers. Accounts say that all attempts to recall the Pokémon failed as the red beam of the pokéballs simply bounced off. Many Pokémon would never look back and simply moved ever slowly away from their ex-trainers towards a shared destination. A few gave broken-hearted looks at their human friends but they too eventually left. Before that wild Pokémon around the world were found to be emigrating towards the same place. In what is remembered to be a solemn march no Pokémon made a noise. Mortal natural enemies acted with indifference as if their destination was more important than petty rivalries.

Attempts were made to stop them or even capture the wild hoard but such attempts were stopped when the legendary Pokémon intervened. Arceus itself, who is attributed the creation of our world and its inhabitants, came down and directly intervened on a band of poachers attempting to profit from the mysterious event. A swift Judgment laid waste to the poachers who died from the attack. The intervention made things clear to the humans: Keep your hands off of the Pokémon.

The location they were all headed to was a large island with a mountain reaching the atmosphere. Said island appeared several days before the event and many specialists had been baffled on how an island with such an imposing landmark could suddenly appear out of nowhere. When the legendary Pokémon intervened a few Pokémon professors theorized that it was thanks to the combined efforts of Groudon and Arceus that such an island could come to be.

The pilgrimage lasted a full month, at that point there were no Pokémon in sight anywhere in the world. They were all there in one place, although a few scientist would complain that it was impossible for one island to contain the world's Pokémon population. The island during the pilgrimage was surrounded by a mysterious force that would repel any human that tried to get near it. All but one human.

He came to us at the end when we knew not what was going on. His name was Ash Ketchum, a 21 year old trainer. The boy in question has participated in a variety of Pokémon leagues with good results but when he came to an interview broadcasted all over the world there was nothing childish about him. He had all the answers but nobody could accept them.

"I've seen the best and the worst in mankind" he had said, "I am an agent of Arceus, the Chosen One. I journeyed around this world together with people I thought were my friends and together I thought that Pokémon and humans should work together."

He paused as if recollecting the good times.

"But one day when my friends abandoned me I found out the world wasn't as nice as I recalled it to be. I travelled again, this time alone and I saw the things I missed. A month ago I finished my journey around the world and came to the conclusion that Pokémon and humans should be separate."

The relevance of such a statement was enforced by the sudden arrival of Arceus.

"That day I told Arceus my conclusion and as such it was then that Pokémon were told to leave. No longer will Pokémon live by the side of humans. Soon they will leave for a world where only they live. A world you will not be able to reach."

Ash Ketchum paused again, deep in thought. When he resumed he looked unhappy.

"As the Chosen One I will have to leave as well. My duties here are done and will be turned into a Pokémon to help lead them in their new world."

Questions were made, some were relevant others not so much. A certain Professor Oak made a few questions, some of which were personal in nature however Ash only answered the questions he deemed were required to be answered such as the imbalance in the ecosystem caused by the Pokémon leaving entirely.

"Arceus will create new life forms to fill the void. He will also recreate the natural laws such that the lack of the legendary Pokémon will not cause the world to fall into chaos. The new creatures will be nothing like Pokémon, they will only exist to fill in for the Pokémon. They will have none of the extraordinary powers Pokémon hold nor will they help humanity as it stumbles along. The world will also no longer preserve itself as it once did. What you do to the planet will be permanent."

He stopped talking to pull out a book

"This book will detail the changes and what you can expect when everything is over. You will need this knowledge if you want to survive in the new world without Pokémon."

He solemnly handed the book to Professor Oak and then left with Arceus.

Our world underwent changes and humanity has not yet come to terms with them. It has been a month and we are still learning about this world no longer populated by Pokémon. All that is left of them are records a such as the pokédex as well as the accounts of millions of trainers who were left behind. Some people however in this new world are looking for accounts of what happened to Ash Ketchum to make him reach his conclusion.

After searching and interviewing for a long time we think we know now. We still do not have the complete picture but we still wish to share the stories and accounts of those left behind and the solitary journey of Ash Ketchum.

**Hello readers to my very first story. I'm new to this but I hope you enjoy this story. I welcome all comments and suggestions. Updates may be sluggish but I'll try my best to write an update as frequently as I can.**

**This is a "what if" scenario that will be told via interviews with characters of the Pokémon anime as well as a few original characters. Please leave a review.**

**-RathOfLight**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: When Ash Left

Interview With Ms. Waterflower(21) & Mr. Harrison(26)

Pallet Town, Kanto Region

*click*

I: Ms. Waterflower, Mr, Harrison. I'd like to thank you for accepting to go through this interview. If possible I'd hope for the both of you to be ... relaxed. This isn't a trial after all.

W: Might as well be! Damn Ash and his mouth, did he have to mention us? Vanishes for years and this is our souvenir?!

H: Misty calm down! Sorry Mr...?

I: Light

H: Sorry, Misty has always had a bit of a temper. It's always particularly bad when it comes to Ash though. *Whack* Ouch Misty, don't take it out on me!

I: So you two have a long history with Ash Ketchum or Arceus' Chosen One.

H: Yeah *rubs his head*, gotta say i couldn't recognize him. I thought he'd always be the same but maybe i sheltered him too much...

I: Is that right? Would you mind elaborating on this?

H: Well Misty and I traveled with him during his first two years and I stuck with him for two more years. Although i couldn't stop him from getting into danger I found there was something very pure about Ash. That pure dedication to Pokemon and his goal to become Pokemon Master. That's why i made sure we never came across the darker side of the Pokemon world. When i couldn't be there to pursue my own goals i contacted the most mature member of his new group and had him do the same.

W: Wait you really did all of that? No wonder we got lost so often! We were going around the bad spots or "getting lost" to avoid the wrong type of crowd in certain cities that could have been there.

H: Yeah, i just wanted Ash to stay himself...had to protect you too Misty. I was the oldest and was the Gym Leader for longer than you. I've had to deal with the darker side and i didn't like it so I made it a mission to keep you out of it as long as possible.

W: I had no idea...

I: This gives me a good idea about how much Mr. Harrison cared about Ash. What about you Ms. Waterflower?

W: I've got nothing to say, hmph

I: Well then perhaps we should get to the question you've been dreading: What did you do to make Ash leave? Why did he say you had abandoned him?

*pause*

W: I...we just thought it was time for him to stop...

I: Stop?

W: Stop his quest to become Pokemon Master...it just hurt to see him always get defeated and then just pushing the reset button and going on failing. Do you know how abnormal Ash was when we still had Pokemon? Nobody goes through six League Championships one after the other! No trainer would just restart with weaker Pokemon like he did so consistently. His way of thinking for a trainer was too abnormal...he would have never become a Champion, let alone Pokemon Master in his lifetime.

I: Harsh remarks considering you are talking about a close friend.

W: It's the truth...and we all thought it was the case. Except the Kalos group who had only known him for a short while. There were other careers waiting for a guy like him. Great ones! He could have even been the new official leader of Viridian City! When we tried to convince him he wouldn't listen to us so...

H: Let me finish this Misty. *Sigh* We wanted him to stop, he had a bright future just not as a Pokemon Trainer. So when he wouldn't stop even for everyone he's ever traveled with we resorted to an archaic and drastic law.

I: I think i know what you are talking about. Is it that one law that given consensus amongst enough Gym Leaders a Trainer could have his license revoked?

H: That's the one. I knew about it and shared the info, after that we only had to collect enough signatures. It was tough but we managed to get approval.

I: If i recall correctly the consequences are very unpleasant for the trainer. Having his license revoked meant he would have had almost all of his Pokemon released and relocated to their natural habitats. He would have been left with at best one or two Pokemon.

H: It was the case. He was left with his Pikachu. The whole ordeal devastated Ash who couldn't believe what we his friends had done to him. He never blamed us or resented us but one morning he just left. He left his friends and family behind. He even left Pikachu behind!

W: *Sniffing* He...w-we tried to find him but we couldn't. That idiot! How could he have done that? To us!*starts tearing up*

*...*

W: I'm sorry it's just that we were doing it for his own good. Next time we see him he proclaims himself as the Chosen One and declares that Pokemon will no longer be at our side. He's not the Ash i used to know. Sometimes I wonder if we were wrong? *starts sobbing*

H: We've told you everything you wanted to know. I'd like for you to leave now.

I: I'm sorry if my questions got you upset. I just want to know how it started. Thank you for your cooperation. Still, if it makes you feel any better you are probably not to blame when it comes to his decision. I will take my leave and i'll make sure nobody else harasses you. I suggest that you stay with Professor Oak for the time being though.

*click*

Interview End

...

Account No. 78138 Kanto Region

Name: Convor Eldwood (Viridian City)

"Look i ain't no perfect guy. I'm a crook, i steal to live. It was always small stuff though, some jewelry here or a wallet there. I was what you could call a pro pickpocket. 'Course i never did more than that and only got caught a few times but when i heard of all them Pokemon traveling together in plain-sight i got greedy. I thought i could grab a few of 'em an sell them to the Pokemon black market in Viridian City. Wasn't to know that some kid blew it up ages ago but i was a petty criminal, too small to know about that kind of stuff.

I never really got the whole Pokemon thing, one of them things i thought woulda slowed me down. Always got a good laugh from me blokes who always said Pokemon make stealing a cinch but i knew that some Pokemon could make quite a buck when sold. So i relieved some stupid trainers of their pokeballs and tried to steal some and then i waited for them Pokemon to come by. I never even got a chance to throw one of these damn balls. I got scared 'cause when i was about to i saw what happened to those who tried.

You ever saw a bloke get melted like cheese? I did. Giant flaming bird came when another bigger group was thinkin what i was thinkin. They shouted 'MOLTRES!', reckon that be that Pokemon's name. It blew a stream of fire on them blokes before they could even run. The flames were so hot they didn't burn but melt. And when the thing was done it looked at me as if tellin me that i was next. I ran. Left them pokeballs behind and never looked back.

I don't really care if them creatures are no longer part of our world. In fact i'm relieved. If a thing that can melt my face off is no longer around i can just get on with business as usual. I'm just a pickpocket but i still dream of fire. The screams! We be better of without 'em!

End Account

This is chapter one which is going to be something like a template of how i'm going to do this. It's going to be an interview or two followed by an account of things that happened during the time Pokemon Left. I may change the setup when it's more convenient to do so. Either way i hope you enjoyed this chapter, please look forward to the next update.

RathOfLight


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Rocket Ash Hunted

_Interview With Giovanni Rocket(48)_

_Indigo Plateau 'Rocket' Prison, Kanto Region_

*click*

I: It was very difficult to get an interview with you, Giovanni Rocket: leader of the ex-infamous criminal organization Team Rocket.

G: I am impressed, for a journalist to manage to get an interview with me these days.

I: I have my ways.

G: So what do you want to know? My criminal career? How I managed to trick the League into giving me the Viridian Gym?

I: I was hoping you would tell me of … Ash Ketchum

G: (pause) The boy who single-handedly destroyed my organization.

I: I already have the records from the League's police as well as your statement and the legal documents regarding your court case. That and the file of every single member of the ex-organization Team Rocket.

G: What more do you want then? It's all there after all.

I: From what I could piece together he came after your organization much earlier than the time he destroyed you. Why?

G: Ah, I see. You want to know why he didn't simply end Team Rocket. He did after all viciously hunt down all of my agents and grunts around Kanto and Johto. Well I don't see any reason to withhold any information although you are the first to ask. I would like to know why the sudden interest for Ketchum, news doesn't come down here.

I: I am not at liberty to tell you anything, it's one of the things I had to promise the person who let me in here.

G: Hmm…Well then where to begin? I guess we could start with that night when he invaded my head-quarters. By then I had vanished for years from the League and nobody had yet to somehow piece together my connection with Team Rocket. Then again with a few 'donations' it is easy to convince some people to look away.

I: You bribed the League?

G: No, it's close to impossible to do that and even if it were it would take an exorbitant amount of money. No I bribed the rich supporters of the League. People who had a vested interest in letting me continue my operations. Much easier to sway and easier to control.

I: Ah you did report your 'business' partners. Thanks to your confessions the League was able to arrest a huge amount of people.

G: Don't thank me, it was one of the things I had to do. If I didn't co-operate until the end Ketchum would have my head, literally.

I: He threatened your life? That doesn't quite match up with the descriptions I've collected about him.

G: He called it Arceus' Judgment. In a way the boy is a far greater monster than any I've created or attempted to create. He demonstrated his powers on my base that night. We could do nothing to stop him. Pokémon would not attack him, even the ones that were given our treatment.

I: Treatment?

G: Please I've already covered all of Team Rocket's operations, methods and experiments. If you can access all of the previously mentioned documents as well as reach here you can get access to those documents.

I: Granted, please continue.

G: As I was saying Pokémon would not attack him. Of course my men were highly trained to fight hand-to-hand and should have been able to take care of a child but Ketchum was capable of taking care of himself. He didn't have to use Pokémon, he could wield Aura in ways nobody could have predicted. My men never stood a chance. I even tried to shoot him, but that didn't work out either.

I: Shoot?

G: Ah yes, I used to own a gun from the war period. Highly illegal to possess a firearm but who needs them when a Pokémon can kill with ease given the right treatment. The question of the firearms is one more concerned with the League trying to cover up the war.

I: You mean the Kanto/Johto war? I've heard of it although almost no documents exist to reference that period of time.

G: The League was very thorough. I suggest you interview Lt. Surge if you want to know more.

I: Going back to the previous topic, Ash Ketchum defeated you with ease but you still haven't told me why he didn't hand you over to the police immediately. He had apparently done so with your agents around the Kanto and Johto regions.

G: He wanted a guide into the dark side of the Pokémon world. You see it is very difficult to enter and even harder to find although people stumble into it and the League is more than aware of it. Gym Leaders have been known to shut down operations in their towns but other towns are a different story. Viridian City was of course an exception although it went through tough times during the period Agatha was around. You see Ketchum despite his powers needed somebody to bring him there and who better than its de facto leader?

I: And you provided him with a guide?

G: I lent him Jessie, James and Meowth a trio formerly part of the scapegoat team which had proven themselves to me. Not that I could refuse and he made it amply clear that he could end me whenever he wanted to. When he finished touring Kanto and Johto he did so. As a result I and every single member of my organization are now jailed in the depths of the Indigo League. The wardens like to call this the 'Rocket' Jail. The place is so heavily guarded that it would be impossible for me to escape. Even my secret agents are down here.

I: I see, so if I wish to learn more I will need to talk with these agents of yours.

G: That will be all I suppose. I don't suppose somebody managed to kill the boy and you are writing his obituary?

I: I am not obligated to tell you anything.

*click*

_Interview End_

…

_Rocket Classified Documents 00054: Project Slave_

Subject Pokémon #019 has finally come around the Rocket way of thinking. Madame Rocket was very satisfied with our results. Although previous subjects resisted until death we have managed to force a Pokémon into complete subservience. We've even managed to get around the difficult to bypass what has been called in the scientific community as the 'Arceus Covenant' or the almost incapability of Pokémon to kill humans.

Records of early experiments from the Orre Region fascinated us but Madame Rocket was adamant about not using somebody else's methods. However thanks to a combination of torture, drugs and constant brainwashing we have created a reliable treatment that will bend any Pokémon's will to our cause. The side-effects however suggest that only people willing to continue the method without hesitation will be attacked by said Pokémon. As part of Project Slave we will need to train Rocket members to be more than just petty thieves.

Madame Rocket has already started establishing an elite team with the inability to feel compassion, an emotion that only creates openings for our treated Pokémon to take advantage of. In the future we may start conditioning Pokémon with slightly less drastic measures to ensure their loyalty to Rocket Grunts since we have seen some of them falter occasionally.

Madame Rocket's son and heir, Giovanni Rocket, has suggested a fascinating project that will follow this one. Why go through a method that requires elite training when we can create our own Pokémon who are already bent to our will? This new project is to be kept from Madame Rocket.

[Refer to Project 00113: Project Mew and Project 01584: Project Chimera]

**Second chapter. I had some ideas of interviewing Professor Oak and Delia but I decided that we should know a bit more about Ash's journey before devolving into other topics like the Pokémon Wars. During the Kanto/Johto section of this story I will cover more of the projects and extra details on Team Rocket. Until next time**

**RathOfLight**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Darkness Ash Saw

_Interview With Jessie (?)(31) & James Morgan (31)_

_?, Kanto Region_

*click*

I: Ms. Jessie and Mr. Morgan, I had a very hard time finding you.

M: It was supposed to be impossible, how did you find us?

I: I used to work for Interpol, I have both the training and the tools to find anybody on the planet.

J: Are you sure you want to say that out loud? You are recording us.

I: In this new world it really doesn't matter. My colleagues already know and if the rest of the world comes to know it isn't a big deal. Still I presume you have been following the news.

J: You're here to ask about the twerp. We don't have anything better to do, not since Meowth left.

I: It must have been terrible. I'm under the understanding that you three have been together for a very long time.

M: We had time to come to terms with it. After all when the twerp let us go he told us this could have happened. Maybe we should have accepted Ash's offer Jessie.

J: It's too late for that.

I: He made you an offer?

M: We'll tell you later maybe. So what do you want to know?

I: Your ex-boss told me you were chosen as his guide into the darkness of the Pokémon world. Tell me what you showed him.

M: The boss eh? Well we got a lot of time, take a seat. This is a long story.

I: Thank you. I'll take it so that you showed him everything?

J: The twerp wanted to see everything...we even showed him all of Team Rocket's classified documents. Do we need to tell you about all of those?

I: No need, I've already read through them.

J: Well we brought the twerp to the biggest black market of both the Johto and Kanto region. It was a place where you could find everything the dark side could offer: Viridian City.

I: Could you tell me each of the things he saw? If you can recall his reactions it would also be very useful.

J: The twerp had a very hard time containing himself. His eyes glowed ominously, if looks could kill his would have caused a massacre but he never looked away, especially when it came to how the black market treated Pokémon.

M: At best they are slaves, forced work hard for no reward except their continued lives. They are the ones who had it better. The black markets around the world are home to ugly shows of Pokémon survival. Rich men bet on these shows and thugs make sure the Pokémon are kept starving and tortured enough. They then put them in different challenges. Racing, boxing, endurance…they were ruthless competitions. The worst were the fights to the death. Pitting Pokémon one against the other and forcing them to kill each other. Sure it happens in nature but this was human fueled violence, the sort only we can induce.

I: A truly sickening spectacle. Once on a mission busting into a high stakes gambling circle I saw the way they had been mistreated. Psychologically broken to fight for their lives, starved to the point where there was no longer a choice. I saw a mother Cleffable and child Cleffa forced to fight each other. To make it more interesting they cut off the mother's arms.

J: They aren't the only ones who get tortured. Besides the deaths the underground fights are the smallest cause of deaths. Many Pokémon get 'harvested' for their resources. Dragon scales. Reaper cloths, razor claws and the like are removed from the Pokémon. Most small criminals and bounty hunters don't bother knocking the Pokémon out and remove the items in-front of their clients to prove their freshness.

I: You are talking about the false idea that the 'freshness' of the items raises better Pokémon.

M: Certain people will pay for it. Some Pokémon are harvested for completely different reasons. For instance some people think that if you make a straw out of a Drowzee's trunk you can taste the dreams of others.

I: There are thousands of these stories. All of them have been proven to be false but that unfortunately doesn't stop people with too much money or nefarious schemes from buying them. It's a sad reality that is no more.

J: Ash made sure of that. When he was sure he had seen all of the atrocities inflicted on Pokémon on a daily basis he could hold it no longer. The place was destroyed in a matter of minutes. By the time the police came they probably only found the cowering scum that lived off of the black market. Honestly the twerp crushed them all with so much power you'd think a legendary had come by and ravaged the place.

M: After that he got us to lead him to the other black markets. He crushed every single one of them. Of course most people wouldn't know, although it happens often enough that a budding trainer bumps into the dark side of the Pokémon world. Many quit training after encountering it.

I: So you toured both Kanto and Johto destroying places that Interpol had been trying to shut down for a very long time. After that he simply let you go?

M: Yes, he told us that despite being criminals by heart we weren't made of the evil the darkness embodies. We weren't good for sure but we just weren't evil.

J: Before he left he told us what could happen, that we would have to say goodbye to Meowth and never see him again so he made us an offer.

M: He could either turn us into Pokémon or he could turn Meowth into a human.

I: Is that even possible?

J: Beats me but we refused his offer. None of us were ready to give up what we were. In hindsight it wouldn't have been so bad, it would have been a loss for the world to lose a beauty like me but without Meowth around everything feels empty. Crime isn't even appealing anymore.

I: So now you stay here doing nothing?

M: It's all we can muster. Meowth was an integral part of the team, without him there is no point in committing crimes. Besides we have everything we need for the rest of our lives here. Nobody normal would find us.

I: I see…I'll help make sure this location remains hidden. I hear that a certain lady is still hunting you down Mr. Morgan. Ever since most of the big criminals have been jailed I heard that investigative resources are being poured into checking how certain families became rich and their purchases. Thank you for your time, just one more question. You have a track-record for being able to infiltrate any place. You could free Team Rocket, why haven't you?

J: …We did everything for the boss you know? All the Pokémon we would catch or steal were given to him but one day we saw what was done to them and we just … lost our dedication. James and I are simply happy staying here now.

I: …

*click*

_Interview End_

…

_Account No. 6554_

_Name: Elsie Putler (Pewter City)_

"I used to live with my Bellossom but now she's gone. She and I were best of friends you know? If I tried hard enough I could practically understand her every word. Despite that I never gave her a name, I always wanted to hear her name from her mouth. To be able to call her with the name she was born with was my greatest dream.

It was sad that as hard as I could try she wouldn't tell me. It was like an ancient law amongst Pokémon, to tell a human their true name was almost like selling their soul. It was old superstition but she clearly believed in it and I loved her as my friend so I respected her wishes.

Together we tended to a small shop for gardening. I know it sounds odd for that kind of business in Pewter City but people loved their gardens all the more here and that made me and Bellossom very happy. But then that awful day happened.

She told me she had to go.

I tried to ask her why but all I could understand was that it was Arceus' will. The last thing she told me before she left was her name. As she left all I could do was call after her. Pebble Grass was the name of my true best friend and she was taken away from me. I haven't given up you know? I've heard there is some cult that stays nearby that damned island. They are all probably crazy thinking they can become Pokémon but it's my last chance. I just want my friend back.

_End Account_

**I'm sorry if the chapter was a little heavy but this is the kind of darkness that I think would drive Ash to re-consider the companionship between humans and Pokémon. There won't be other accounts as dark as this although some of the classified Rocket Documents are still pretty twisted. Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter. Next time I will be covering Rota and maybe even Professor Oak. Until then**

**RathOfLight**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: To understand the Chosen Ash (Part 1)

_Interview With Queen Ilene (36)_

_Rota, Kanto Region_

*click*

I: I am honored that your Majesty would grant me an audience.

Q: Please Mr. Light, there is no need for such formalities.

I: On the contraire; despite Rota being part of the Kanto region it is still technically a kingdom under your rule. The rulers of Rota might have been deprived of a good number of powers but they still retain a great deal of political power. I believe that is worthy of formalities.

Q: It doesn't look like I would be able to dissuade you, may I know what you wished to discuss Mr. Light?

I: I require the knowledge regarding Aura and its practitioners. My research also tells me that Ash Ketchum won the annual Hero's Festival so later I may inquire about that, your Majesty.

Q: A peculiar question. It is true that aura is not widely known outside of a few places around the world. It is also true that Rota is one of the few places were not only do we still study aura but also practice its use. But I wonder if you had another question in mind?

I: You see through me your Majesty. Ash Ketchum has apparently displayed a level of control over aura that he had never displayed before. Barely a month since he vanished from Pallet Town and he already had enough power to dispatch every single Team Rocket member around the joint Kanto and Johto regions.

Q: You think he must have undergone training at some point? I'm afraid that if such a talent to wield aura in less than a month had appeared we would perhaps have the first proper Aura Guardian in a very long time.

I: I did some research before-hand but the whole aura business is still something I can't completely wrap my head around. I hope it's not too much to ask a detailed explanation from your Majesty?

Q: It is not any trouble at all Mr. Light. First of all you must accept that aura is part of all living things. It's what gives us life as it's been observed previously that a dead body or an inanimate are devoid of aura.

I: So aura can be observed?

Q: Unfortunately only Pokémon especially attuned to aura and a few aura practitioners are capable of observing it. We can only go by their word so it's something that has not been widely discussed in a scientific environment. We can however tell you that all Pokémon moves are fueled by aura.

I: Is that right? I was always under the impression that Pokémon moves were simply a manifestation of their natural bodies, your Majesty. A Pikachu for instance has electrical pouches where it would store its electricity.

Q: It's not entirely incorrect but a Pokémon move is capable of things much greater than what their bodies can produce on their own. In a way all Pokémon are capable of using aura to use their moves but it is nothing more than an instinctual reflex much like moving your body or breathing. To actually pull out your aura in the form of pure energy requires much more than instinct.

I: What about us humans, your Majesty? We also possess aura and yet we are not capable of using it like Pokémon.

Q: A common misconception Mr. Light. We are capable of some of its instinctual uses. For instance a Pokémon's moves should be more lethal than they are. Have you never witnessed a trainer get hit by a charging Rhydon and get away with only a fractured arm? Or how about a criminal getting hit by a Growlithe's ember and only getting slightly singed? It is thanks to aura that we have been able to live at the side of Pokémon for so long without them having to hold their strength.

I: But your Majesty! I have reports of criminals experiencing deadly blows from legendary Pokémon. Is that not a contradiction?

Q: Legendary Pokémon are an exception. This instinctual ability of humans is often called Arceus's Blessing but if deemed necessary a Legendary supposedly had the ability to bypass this limitation. It's also true that with enough power behind an attack there could be deadly consequences. The protection is not absolute but it helps.

I: So we can all use aura to an extent I still however cannot see what sets aura practitioners and Aura Guardians apart from most humans, your Majesty.

Q: To be honest that is not clear to us either but we've isolated two factors that we know for sure. The first requirement is having the right heritage. Simply put genetics have much to do with the likelihood that somebody be born with the talent. The second factor is that aura users have about twice as much aura as the average human. The sheer amount of aura cannot be contained so easily by the human body so it tends to seep into other bodily functions. With enough practice an aura practitioner can wield the excess for small feats of aura wielding such as aura sight.

I: What about the Aura Guardians?

Q: One hasn't been observed in a long time but it's estimated that the weakest had as much as ten times the amount of aura an aura practitioner had. The strongest could best Pokémon on their own without too many problems.

I: Hmm, you have cleared my questions regarding aura and their users. I'm sure there is a lot more about it than I have heard but it's enough for me. However I still have many questions.

Q: I'm afraid I do not have the answers Mr. Light. Regarding Ash Ketchum I know his aura is identical to that of the last known Aura Guardian Sir Riley but other than that his stay in Rota was short lived to say the least.

I: I see … Thank you, your Majesty. You have been of great help.

*click*

_Interview End_

…

_Rocket Classified Documents 01584: Project Chimera_

We have failed to clone Pokémon without them dying soon after. Although Project Mew was a success we could not control the creation. We have not however given up creating an army. The problem so far was that the cloned Pokémon simply put did not have enough aura to sustain their bodies. This disproves the previous idea that genetic material is the source of aura.

We have thus come to the conclusion that we simply need to supply the aura. But why give aura to mere clones when we can create more powerful creatures combining the best of individual Pokémon and suffuse them with aura to create the perfect fighting machine?

Thus we have been using unusable Pokémon as part of Project Chimera. Our first subject was a fusion of the Kanto Region favorite starters. Unfortunately the product was unstable despite having the aura supply of a few Rattatas. The hypothesis is that there is a reason that no Pokémon has more than two types.

Research in old aura texts stolen from various locations indicate that having too many types causes an instable clash of inner aura. Old maladies were attributed to people having been infected with another aura causing instability. Regardless it appears that more resources will need to be spent to create Pokémon with more than two types.

On the other hand our other subjects were successes. As an experiment we took a Charmander and removed its tail, its biggest weakness, and replaced various organs and parts with that of a Vaporeon gifted with the Water Absorb ability. Whilst we did not manage to give the new creation the Water Absorb ability we did create a fire Pokémon who is mostly resistant to water.

We of course still do not understand much of the mechanics of aura and unfortunately the new creations require aura infusions from several other Pokémon. This efficiency problem will have to be settled in later experiments. Although the new creation seems to be in constant pain as long as we supply the aura and medicines we have proven that it's not impossible to sustain these new creatures. They have proven to be even more powerful than their originals and that result alone is encouraging.

Project Chimera however is not the only front to creating new Pokémon, although if I do say so myself it is not as fascinating, the creation of artificial Pokémon such as the Legendary Regigigas is also underway. Sadly their efforts have yet to produce results. Giovanni is very pleased.

[Refer to Project 01855: Project Gigas]

**I apologize for the wait but I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to cover in this section. I had many conflicting ideas and it did not help that I had other things take up my time. Either way I finally finished writing this chapter. Next time I will finish with Kanto with a joint Professor Oak and Lance interview. I haven't decided on anything regarding the second part so suggestions are welcome.**

**Also I'd like to thank those who have reviewed so far and I'd like to reply to one particular review. I realize it is a bit unconventional replying to reviews at the end but here we go:**

**-SaiyaStyles suggested that there could be one last Pokémon around that would be Celebi who would be like Doctor Who and make sure nothing goes amiss. I find the idea very appealing but this story won't cover much of the aftermath despite being set in it. But if somebody wants to take up the idea as a project that would make for an awesome story in my opinion. Who knows? After this story I might write it myself!**

**Thank you for reading and I'll try to write the next chapter a little faster this time! Until then**

**RathOfLight**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: To understand the Chosen Ash (Part 2)

_Interview With Professor Samuel Oak (58)_

_Pallet Town, Kanto Region_

*click*

I: Professor, I am glad you made time to let me interview you.

O: I am not busy as such with the book Ash gave me but I am very busy with Delia. Although she has not shown any signs that require her to be watched she still needs help to … recover after Ash made his announcement.

I: It appears I am causing some grief again. I apologize since it's not my intention.

O: Young man, you are after the trail Ash left right? I don't have anything to contribute to your research but I suspect you have something else you wish to ask.

I: I checked all of the people that were arrested when Ketchum assaulted all of the black markets. One of the trainers arrested caught my eye. Is the name Damian familiar?

O: …As the lead professor of the Kanto region I am aware of most trainers that start out in Kanto thus I am unfortunately aware of the particular trainer you speak of.

I: I believe Ketchum met him and dealt with Damian personally. I know that Damian used to be the trainer of Ketchum's Charizard but maybe because he became a part of the darkness of the Pokémon world many things are unclear. I'd ask the guy himself but whatever Ketchum did to him has caused severe psychological trauma. Damian can't recall anything at all and will not even try to do so out of extreme fear. I believe this encounter must have some meaning to the decision Ash Ketchum eventually made and so to understand it better I came to you.

O: I see, it looks like this will take a bit longer than I thought. First of all you should know that Damian had his trainer license taken from him. Unlike with Ash where it took the application of an archaic law considering his conduct Damian was subject to a more recent and easier to implement law. Simply put his conduct bothered several Gym Leaders and after I looked through his file I consented to having the G-Men take his trainer license. As you know without one you can have no more than one or two Pokémon at any time and you can no longer participate in official trainer competitions.

I: Is that right?

O: I know this law very well, I've had to apply it far too often for my tastes. Although the vast majority of trainers learned to cherish Pokémon far too many failed to consider Pokémon as sentient living beings. I suppose it has to do with the way we ultimately used to treat Pokémon: as possessions.

I: You would know considering your area of specialization. Before they left you studied the bond between humans and Pokémon.

O: Indeed. Although we had come a long way from the way we used to treat Pokémon they aren't treated as intelligent creatures capable of the same feelings and emotions we humans have. Certainly a few trainers have come to understand it and achieved true friendship with them but many more simply treat them as pets or tools. It's that kind of perspective that people like Team Rocket but also many rich people have adopted.

I: I myself always respected my partner but I cannot say I never thought of my Zoroark as something that I owned.

O: Don't blame yourself, you are but another product of the trainer world. Our education for the past one-hundred years has so far focused on convincing us that Pokémon don't have the same rights as us humans. Many children are told that Pokémon are far less intelligent and need to be captured. For this time of age though it might have been fine. As long as we kept considering them as living creatures…

I: You are referring to how some trainers would mistreat their Pokémon pushing them to perform way beyond what they could take.

O: Physical harm is the least of the damage. Pokémon are tough and heal faster than us after all. It's the psychological damage that is the most harmful. My studies have led to the following observation: Pokémon that get captured inherently trust their new trainer to do what is best for them. When this trust is broken the mental repercussions have been known to be almost permanent. In each region there is a whole special reserve filled with Pokémon unable to return to the wild who have lost faith in humanity. Damian's Pokémon were especially bad.

I: I read some of the visible damage. A Raticate whose front teeth had broken, tail had been cut off and tortured in general as evident by bruises and cuts all over its body. Similar wounds were found on his Machamp and Ekans although the one had lost use of two of its arms and the Ekans would never slither around the same way.

O: The boy had claimed he was training them to be 'tougher'. To be honest I am not surprised that someone like him got caught up in the darkness of the Pokémon world. The boy had no qualms forcing Pokémon to the point of permanent damage and then throwing them out for 'stronger' Pokémon in the wild. We think that by the time we had his trainer status revoked he had abandoned 18 other Pokémon before reaching Celadon City.

I: Damian vanished after that or so I am informed. Apparently he willingly joined those cruel competitions in the black market sometime after. He was apparently a favorite … that is until Ash Ketchum arrived of course.

O: I had hoped Damian would learn but sadly some people in this world simply cannot change.

I: Perhaps this is the sort of knowledge that Ketchum gleaned from this encounter. We humans cannot change easily and that includes our attitude towards Pokémon.

O: I have to take my leave now. Although my grandson helps quite a bit I am afraid that I have much to do before retiring.

I: I apologize for taking so much of your time. Thank you, Professor Samuel Oak.

*click*

_Interview End_

_…_

_Classified: Team Rocket Ranks_

Team Rocket is a very large and powerful criminal organization and until a while ago we knew nothing of how they were truly organized. Recently however we received information from an agent from Interpol containing vital information. This document shall describe each role within the gargantuan organization.

Grunt: These are the main man-power of the organization. They are practically drones who do what their superiors do but are skilled enough and trained to keep their mouths shut should they be captured. They are all expendable considering Giovanni has a large training center from which to replenish his forces from any losses. The level of their Pokémon is usually low so as to not give any strange ideas of any sort of uprising.

Admin: They are Giovanni's generals who usually lead operations around. They are known but dangerous. They are thought to constantly train their Pokémon to supposedly be able to take on gym leaders. There are only five to six at any one point and they only answer to Giovanni himself. Usually a big operation is handled by one Admin. All Admins work alone excluding Scientists and Grunts as they each try to stay in the most favorable position with their boss. It is not unheard of that one Admin would sabotage another just to get in a better position.

Lead Scientists: Team Rocket 'employs' a large number of Scientists to oversee certain projects. The brilliant minds that oversee the myriad of Scientists are the Lead Scientists. They make proposals and head the research. They do not carry strong Pokémon although they possess a few in case they need to make a quick getaway. Like the Admins the Lead Scientists are prone to extreme competitiveness in regards to their colleagues but they mostly speak with results instead of sabotage.

Scapegoats: These are the Grunts who had too much of a personality and far too much ambition to be left alone. Rather than train them into proper Team Rocket members they are released in the world to deviate attention. By giving an image of buffoons and idiots with over the top plans that would never work Team Rocket creates expendable units that lower the guard of trainer. Although it's true that their unconventional plans yield a large amount of Pokémon the chances of their success is so low that failure is expected. These units are usually kept out of the big picture and are simply petty thieves with too much ambition for their own good.

Killers: Giovanni keeps this unit a secret. Team Rocket member specialized in assassination they had a hand in Giovanni's rise in power over the darkness of the Pokémon world. It is reputed that they are in possession of firearms and are generally lethal to humans. They do not carry Pokémon and are purely out there to kill humans that get in the way.

Leader: Giovanni is the leader of the organization having inherited the position from his mother. Not much is known about him today although it is speculated that he owns 80% of the black market in Kanto and Johto. His Pokémon are trained to be lethal and will kill if ordered to. His team as a gym leader is not indicative of his true team and his Persian has been witnessed killing a Grunt who would not listen to orders. Alone he is dangerous but together with his organization he is a national threat.

**Once again I am late. My personal situation right now means that at best I will have a chapter out each week although if I can I'll try to post two chapters a week.**

**Anyways I am done with Kanto for now but if somebody requests an interview to be written of a character within Kanto I wouldn't mind writing it. Either way next week we will start with Johto. To everyone who reads this story, thank you and see you soon**

**RathOfLight**


End file.
